victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Shops do play a big part in the make up of a good town but there is a lot more than just that,Like History.and the country,and around it, culture, of the town that means Arts, the code of manners, the dress, and culture plays a very big part passed down from generation to generation.Its the wayof life for an entire society. and I think this where Dover fulls down ,in the 80years I have been here the culture of the whole town has changed and not for the good.But it is now changing again this time I think it is getting better.This only the start of my views .Lot more to come over the weeks. thank you.
Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,095
Demographics.
"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Right we move on, le
ts look
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
On we go,,We will now look at the port and sea front, I think the D.H.B. are doing well with the seafront looking good and the new piers and the Curve etc still a lot of work going on so we will wait and see how it all turns out. But we must remember that Dover is the best known town and port in the world,in the news all the time,with the port playing a very big part of that. now lets look at the town and port in war times known as HELLS Corner in the world war two.in fact bombs were hitting Dover after the world war two was over and they were dancing in the streets of London ,but bombs still hitting Dover.
Arthur- Registered: 18 Nov 2020
- Posts: 438
I’ve lived on the outskirts of Dover since 1985 and have watched the area deteriorate. Admittedly the seafront looks good but that’s where it ends. The town itself has deteriorated and I doubt it can be revived. There is a lack of employment opportunities in the area and hence a demographic with little disposable income which is what makes a place thrive. There maybe a community spirit - I can’t comment on that as I don’t live in the town. I rarely venture into Dover anymore. Tend to visit Deal or Canterbury.
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
Thank you for your post sir and view, I hope in time to prove you are wrong but at my age who knows.But I will just had ,that the D.D.C. have spend a lot of cash on doing up the town hall which has a lot of history behind it, when it opens fully again you will see a lot of visitors going to it which will be a help to the town. We also have in the town centre the very good Dover college with like the town hall a great history behind it with some very famous pupils going to it. yes the town needs a ramp up which sorry is not getting done yet.Deal is very nice and we go there a lot but like other towns shops are closing down .and unlike Dover they do not have a history like Dover and port to back it up,yes they have two very good castles with good history but nothing like Dover has.And you must see that sir.Dover has and getting more nice shops with in the town and over the years there will be a lot more. Yes the town needs all to move closer and the top end needs to all be housing I mean good housing and not one bed room flats. This will not happen but if they got rid of the town council and the staff apart from the town clark could have a new roll with leader making a town centre office with the mayor still in office for events etc, but picked by the public. But that will not happen in my life time. But the cost of running this could come out of the very large presets and funds they have and that would also give the D.D.C. more funds . and take out the politics which not helping at this time. Still lots more to come yet. than you.Dover has lost it character over many years and having been here from 1942 I have seen it go. they should have left the shopping lanes we had when they pull it all down the characters went with it, but we are where we are and need to work to get it all back and with hard work and the right members of the public in the right place it can be done.
TheThinWhiteDuke- Registered: 7 Jul 2016
- Posts: 357
Oh. I thought the title was missing a question mark.
Didn't realise it was an Op Ed thread.
Guest 4957- Registered: 25 Nov 2022
- Posts: 4
Vic, Totally agree with you about Dover losing a lot of character over the years, particularly the small lanes and backstreets that it once had that today would be an attraction for tourists to meander through. Another loss to me personally was the needless destruction of my favourite pub, The Cause is Altered. Tourists would have loved it!!, and all of the western heights left intact and renovated faithfully.
So much has been demolished and may have been saved with some forethought. Just my opinion of course.
victor matcham- Registered: 5 Oct 2021
- Posts: 1,075
THE Cause is Altered was a good pub when pubs were pubs not as they are today I WAS A ALMA lad my self even lived therewhen my wife had got rid of me.
Brian Gee ,john Lee lived where you did and I fagg,just a few all went to Astor sec\ good times always fighting .
And I was winning most of them but not all.